Gas water heater



Dec. 24, 1940. DUFAULT 2,225,773 7 GAS WATER HEATER Filed Aug. 21, 1939 Q INVENTOR.

P Y I (0M ATTORNEY.

Patented Dec. 24, 1940 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE GAS WATER HEATER Application August 21, 1939, Serial No. 291,230

1 Claim.

My invention relates to improvements in gas water heaters and the principal objects thereof are directed towards the provision of a novel and unique type of heater having a relatively 5 large area of metal which is adapted to absorb and to radiate heat and having a tubular means so arranged as to provide a minimum amount of obstruction for the heat as it passes upwardly in the process of heating the water therein.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a novel and improved heater having a large number of specially arranged fin members adapted to absorb heat so as to take as much advantage of the heating value of the fuel as is possible with the result that the heater operates more efiectively and efficiently than heaters heretofore known.

It is another object of my invention to provide a water heater having fin members arranged so that there is a minimum amount of obstruction for the passage of heat and at the same time they provide a more efficient and effective means for conducting heat from the burner bar to the fins for radiation to the water therein.

It is another object of my invention to provide a water heater which is light in weight so that the same can be easily transported from place to place. As a special feature, my improved heater may be made more economically and with fewer operations in the manufacture of its parts as Well as in the assembling of the same than prior devices known in the art.

Other prime objects include the provision of a heater of the above character formed and de- 5 signed so as to be attractive in its appearance and simple and compact in its construction. Still further, the device of the invention is such that parts once assembled cannot be readily separated from each other, accidentally or otherwise and the burner is capable of operating with a maximum amount of efficiency and silence without requiring frequent and various adjustments for mixing the air with fuel. As will appear, the device of the invention is adapted for use in water heaters of all types and it may burn natural, liquid, or manufactured fuel gas, all as may be desired.

The construction of the invention has its parts novelly arranged so that a better heat distribution may be obtained and the desired air circulation between the flames may be had.

Various other novel features and advantages of my invention will be hereinafter more fully described and referred to in connection with the Q5 accompanying description wherein;

Fig. 1 is a side elevational view of the device of the invention showing the casing, the burner therefor, and tube members having extended surfaces in dot-dash lines;

Fig. 2 is a transverse sectional view through 5 what is shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a plan view of a modified form of the header member of the invention;

Fig. 4 is a plan view of still another modification of header member; and

Fig. 5 is an elevational view of a portion of one of the tube members having an extended surface.

Referring now to the drawing more in detail, the invention will be fully described. Like numerals in different figures refer to like parts. 15

A lower header member, generally indicated by H), and an upper header member, generally indicated by 20, are provided in spaced relation as shown. These header members are preferably similarly shaped and each consists of tubular 2o hollow arm or arms which extend outwardly in spaced relation from a connection member associated therewith.

A connection l2 leads into the lower header and this is for introducing cold water thereinto. 25 A connection 22 leads out from the upper header and. through this hot water may pass outwardly.

The upper and lower header members In and 20 are in communication with each other by means of one or more vertically-extending tubu- 0 lar connections M. In the form shown in Figs. 1 and 2 there are four of such pipes l4 and these extend between spaced openings provided in the upper and lower sides respectively of the lower and upper headers.

These headers connected as described are enclosed in a casing C with the connections l2 and 22 preferably extending out through a wall thereof. Within the casing C and below the lower header is a burner represented by B connected 0 to a suitable fuel supply as indicated by P. Although any type burner may be used, preferably one of the luminous type is employed.

The burner of the device B is preferably made from an aluminum alloy and this is for the rea- 45 son that other metals such as cast iron, brass, steel or copper, tend to oxidize or carbonize to an objectionable extent through the action of natural or manufactured gases used therewith which causes the ports of the burner not only to 50 clog up and interfere with the flame but renders the burner unfit for service. I have found, however, that there is no such objectionable reaction when an aluminum alloy burner is used.

Secured to each of the header members In and are a plurality of fins 16 which are preferably made from a thin metal. According to the preferred form of the invention, these fins take the form shown in Fig. 1, that is they extend radially and outwardly from the tubular arms of the header members.

There is preferably provided around the longitudinal connection members I4 similar radiallyextending fin members although I prefer that said tubes l4 have extended surfaces shown at 24 in Fig. 5. That is to say, I form a spine-like surface which extends outwardly from the parent metal of the tube wall and I have found this serves as an efiective heat-transferring medium.

The fins l6 and 24 absorb the heat being sent upwardly from the burner and the fins l6 also serve to reinforce the header tubes. Thatis to say, the fins absorb the heat and transfer it to the water in a way which brings about maximum eiiiciency of the device and they provide restricted passageways for the flow of air past the fins.

In Figs. 3 and 4, modified forms of a header member are shown.

In Fig. 3, the header consists of three substantially parallel and spaced-apart tubular arms 30 having adjacent ends in communication with a connection 32. Said arms have a plurality of spaced openings 34 for communicating with tubular members such as are shown at [4.

In Fig. 4, the header 40 is formed more or less ring-like as shown with a connection 42 at one side thereof. Preferably a relatively short arm M extends radially into the ring from adjacent the part t? and both the ring and arm have openings 46 for connecting to the tubes such as I4.

Either of these forms preferably is provided with radially extending fins such as are shown associated with the headers l0 and 20. It will be appreciated that heated air readily passes upwardly through the spaces between and around the various tubes above described and that the cold water entering port l2 passes around. through the lower header, up through pipes l4,

around through the upper header and out through port 22.

What it is desired to claim and secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

A hot-water heating apparatus comprising in combination, a walled casing provided with a flue in its upper side and having a burner disposed therewithin adjacent its lower side, a primary header member consisting of a hollow U-shaped tubular part extending horizontally within said casing above said burner and a hollow connection member extending outwardly from the central portion of the tubular part and through a side wall of the casing, said hollow connection being adapted to be connected to a water-inlet pipe and the arms of said U-shaped part being provided with a plurality of spaced openings in their upper sides, a secondary header member consisting of a hollow U-shaped tubular part extending horizontally within said casing at a distance above and in parallelism with the U-shaped part of said primary header member and a hollow connection member extending outwardly from the central portion of the U-shaped part of the secondary header member and through said side wall of the casing, said hollow connection being adapted to be connected to a water-outlet pipe and the arms of said U-shaped part of the secondary header member being provided with a plurality of spaced openings in their lower sides in vertical alignment with the first-named openings, a plurality of separate hollow tubes extending vertically within said casing and between members, each of said tubes having its lower end in communication with one only of the firstnamed openings and its upper end in communication with that one only of the second-named openings which is in vertical alignment therewith, and heat-absorbing and reinforcing fins extending outwardly from and radially of both the outer surface of each of said tubes and the arms of each of said U-shaped parts.

HOMER D. DUFAULT. 

